Myelos Corporation

University of California

University of Ca

Myelos Neurosciences Corporation

John S O'Brien

Yasuo Kishimoto

David Erick Wright

Michael T White

Prosaposin, saposin C and various peptide fragments of saposin C stimulate neurite outgrowth in vitro. In addition, prosaposin and saposin C promote increased myelination ex vivo. Prosaposin is present in large neurons of the brain, including both upper and lower motor neurons.

Prosaposin as a neurotrophic factor

The invention provides a method of alleviating neuropathic pain in a subject by administering a neuropathic pain alleviating amount of prosaposin receptor agonist to the subject. The invention also provides a method of inhibiting the onset of neuropathic pain in a subject by administering neuropathic pain alleviating amount of prosaposin receptor agonist to the subject. The present invention also provides prosaposin receptor agonists and the use of these agonists for stimulating neurite outgrowth, inhibiting neural cell death, promoting myelination and inhibiting neural demyelination. In addition, there is provided a method of inhibiting sensory or motor neuropathy by contacting neuronal cells with a composition comprising an effective inhibiting amount of prosaposin receptor agonist.

Compositions for alleviating neuropathic pain with prosaposin receptor agonists

Prosaposin receptor

Use of prosaposin and peptides obtained therefrom for treatment of neural degeneration

Retro-inverso peptide analogs derived from the active neurotrophic region of saposin C. The saposin C-derived peptides (prosaptides) induce neurite outgrowth in vitro, prevent programmed cell death, induce myelination and have an analgesic effect. They are useful in the treatment of central and peripheral nervous system disorders and pain management. The retro-inverso peptides are significantly more resistant to metabolic degradation than the corresponding non-inverted peptides.

Retro-inverso neurotrophic and analgesic peptides

The invention provides a method of alleviating neuropathic pain in a subject by administering an effective amount of an active fragment of prosaposin to the subject. The invention also provides a method of preventing neuropathic pain in a subject by administering an effective amount of an active fragment of prosaposin to the subject.

Methods of alleviating neuropathic pain using prosaposin-derived peptides

Prosaposin-derived peptides

Use of prosaposin and neurotrophic peptides derived therefrom

Prosaposin and peptide derivatives derived therefrom will promote neurite outgrowth in vitro. A peptide consensus sequence was determined by comparing the active neurite outgrowth-inducing saposin C peptide sequence with that of various hematopoietic and neuropoietic cytokines. These cytokine-derived peptides will promote the same processes as their corresponding cytokines. In addition, prosaposin and saposin C promote increased nerve cell myelination ex vivo.

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

John S O'Brien